


Padawan in the Temple

by Merfilly



Series: Jedi Asajj [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends: Jedi Apprentice Series - Jude Watson & Dave Wolverton, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, What-If
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-07
Updated: 2016-09-07
Packaged: 2018-08-13 14:28:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,682
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7980025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Merfilly/pseuds/Merfilly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What if Ky Narec and his Padawan had managed to leave instead of him dying? What if Asajj finished training in the Temple?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Padawan in the Temple

**Author's Note:**

> Pinning Asajj's age down is not easy. She's older than Anakin, but it's probably only by a few years, if Ky Narec died closer to the Invasion of Naboo than not. But for the plot bunny I had, I needed her closer to Obi-Wan's age, and so she is 4-5 years younger than him.

The Temple was all abuzz with the news that a Knight feared lost for all time had been safely found and returned, bringing with him a strange human girl. Rumor had it he had defied the Council about the girl, insisting that despite her age and unorthodox finding, that she become his padawan. 

"Do you know him, Master? This Knight that has been found?" Obi-Wan asked, curious, and pretty certain anyone who argued with the Council had to be in Qui-Gon's circle of friends. "Is the girl truly so skilled as to warrant training? Is she really of an unusual strain of humans?"

Qui-Gon had to smile at his inquisitive padawan. At fifteen, the boy and he had finally hit their stride, sharing a bond that could withstand the onslaught of momentary disagreements and discussions of how best to proceed. "Not every argumentative Jedi is my friend, as evidenced by Master Tiin."

"Master Tiin argues with everyone, and he sits on the Council," Obi-Wan reasoned to that. "You were on hand when they came in, though. What do you know about them?"

The Knight shook his head, but relented. "She was found on Rattatak, but was a slave. She will not name her planet of origin, perhaps cannot," Qui-Gon began. "It is true that I have rarely seen any human that pale; her skin is truly white in color. I suppose the healers will learn if she is human, or near-human instead. She is bald, and quite thin. Ky estimates her age at eleven, and he began training her while on Rattatak, before managing to liberate a ship to free himself and the girl."

"A bit young to be a padawan, but not unheard of," Obi-Wan said, not thinking about having been almost too old before Qui-Gon accepted him. There were just not enough Knights, or Masters still taking students, to keep up with the Force sensitive children that were brought to the Temple by hopeful families. "Did they relent?"

"While I left before Ky got vociferous, I do understand that he has taken an apartment in this wing," Qui-Gon said. "Does that satisfy your curiosity, my young padawan?"

"Except for if he is one of your friends, Master, but I think he must be. You don't call many by their given name instead of rank or family name."

Qui-Gon laughed. "Yes, Ky was a good friend to Tahl and I, before he took on the duty of exploration."

Obi-Wan grinned impudently, and settled back to his lessons. He'd find his group of friends at the late meal, and find out what they knew about the new padawan.

* * *

Darsha, Bant, Quinlan, Reeft, Garen, Siri and Obi-Wan had claimed a table that gave them a good view of the rest of the commissary. Each one had heard different rumors, and Obi-Wan decided he had to set them all straight, even though he had not actually seen the girl yet. 

"My master was with the Council —"

"In trouble again?" Darsha interjected, smirking at him, which got a glare from the boy before he reined his temper back in.

"No, not that it's any of your business! But he was there, and he saw her." He proceeded to tell them the little bit of information he had learned so far, while they listened. It was quite rare for all of them to be in the Temple together, but Bant, who wasn't out as much as they were, had said their masters had been reminded that there were actual tests that needed to be completed during training. 

"Well, I guess that means you're not the baby anymore," Quinlan told Bant, stealing some of her crisps for his plate. She blinked balefully at him.

"Why do you think we'll be seeing much of her?" Siri asked, her eyes going narrow.

"Master Tholme said Knight Narec is an old friend to most of our masters," Quinlan said, as if that explained it all.

"My master said something of the same," Obi-Wan agreed. "Regardless, we do need to remember to be welcoming. She's probably had a difficult life, and our lifestyle is a far cry from whatever she's known."

Reeft nodded. "Obi-Wan's right. We should help her adjust. After all, we're good at taking care of each other. Not many other groups like ours among the rest of the padawans."

"We'll see," Garen said, unsure of letting anyone else into their circle. It might be overwhelming, given how solidly bonded their group was.

Bant glanced toward the main doorway just then, and made a quieting noise. "She and her master just came in, I think," the Mon Cal girl said, making all of them glance that way. 

Obi-Wan decided Qui-Gon had described her quite well, as the padawan clothes were all but swallowing her slim form. She wore a headband with the traditional silka beads common to padawans without hair to cut in the braid. Her eyes darted around, noting the exits and inhabitants, something Obi-Wan had learned was a sign of either wrong-doing or caution. The tall, older man with her kept a hand on her back, between her shoulder-blades, and that heartened Obi-Wan some on her behalf. In his opinion, the good masters weren't shy about using contact to reassure their students.

The pair got trays and then took a small table in the quieter side of the eating area, both of them setting to eating with the efficiency of people who had gone hungry more than a few times. Obi-Wan and his friends drifted to other topics of conversation, while he quietly wished the girl well in learning how to be a Jedi.

* * *

It worked out that Obi-Wan was the first to actually meet the new padawan, as he was having a restless night and decided on training in the salle. Remotes weren't much to work against, but he could concentrate on form. If Qui-Gon had been in, he probably could have cajoled his master to join him; their bouts of insomnia ran close to one another usually. As it was, his master had gone out early in the evening and wasn't yet back.

The new girl was in the salle already, working with a pair of remotes, as she was using the dual-wielding method of jar'kai. Obi-Wan had aspirations to learn it some day, but knew his primary form of Soresu was not quite good enough to add a secondary.

"Hello," Obi-Wan said quietly. The girl did not acknowledge, focused on the remote. It was set to a difficult pattern, but she seemed to be doing fairly well. He moved some distance away, calling a remote to him with the Force to begin his own routine. It was easy to fall into the soothing pattern, sticking to true Form discipline in every move, and yet still watch the new girl.

She moved with heavy aggression in her steps; Obi-Wan wondered if she wouldn't do well to adapt some Ataru, or even ask for training in Vaapad, if she could control her emotions well enough. It was none of his business though, as he was as much a padawan as she was. 

He finished a full set of movements against the drone to find she was still going, though he could see the fatigue beginning to take a toll.

"If I may suggest, Form does not get any better by working to fatigued muscles," he offered, his voice apologetic. 

She shot him a glare when one of the bolts nearly caught her, because she'd been distracted. "Mind yourself," she said, her voice sibilant and low for a girl's. 

"As you wish… but unless your Master is far different from others, he won't appreciate you being too sore to meet tomorrow's demands," Obi-wan insisted. 

She stopped, and very precisely shut both drones off with a push of the Force on their controls so she could glare at him some more.

"Nice job," he said, honestly, for the control to go from fighting to manipulation so easily. She seemed taken aback from her irritation with him, until she just pursed her lips thinly, crossing her arms to stare at him.

"So smug when you have had the luxury of learning here all your life," she hissed softly, surprising him with her anger.

"No, I meant it." He tipped his head slightly to the side. "You're worried about fitting in? Or not being able to keep up?"

"Neither!" she said, far too quickly.

Obi-Wan pulled back from the immediate snapping reply, refusing to rise toward anger. She was probably just having trouble adapting.

"My name is Obi-Wan Kenobi, padawan to Knight Qui-Gon Jinn. I tend to wind up here a lot, and the style you're using is one I want to study after I am certain my Soresu is the best I can get it. Maybe you'd be willing to show me your style, and I can try and spar you instead of the drones?"

She eyed him a long, silent moment. "Why would you do that? What do you want?"

"Nothing but to exchange skills," Obi-Wan told her. What kind of life had she had? She was as hard-edged as… as The Young, of Melida/Daan. That made his chest hurt a little, before he gave her a smile. "I would like to know your name, if you think I want something."

Her eyes narrowed before answering. "Asajj Ventress, padawan of Knight Ky Narec." Her voice was defensive around the last phrase, and he felt empathy for her, having been through a rocky beginning to his own apprenticeship.

"It's good to meet you, Asajj. I should probably get back to my room, but my offer stands. If I'm in the Temple… I do enjoy sparring with others."

"I'll think about it," she answered, before flicking the drones back on so she could keep training. 

He just shook his head and went to his room in Qui-Gon's apartment, wondering briefly where his master was as the bedroom was still empty. It was Qui-Gon's business, and Obi-Wan was just glad to know his master did, sometimes, take time to himself.

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by several comments as well as the various bits of art floating on tumblr of Asajj in Jedi robes.


End file.
